honesty

hon·es·ty

noun \ˈä-nəs-tē\

plural hon·es·ties

Definition of HONESTY

1

obsolete : chastity

2

a : fairness and straightforwardness of conduct b : adherence to the facts : sincerity

3

: any of a genus (Lunaria) of European herbs of the mustard family with toothed leaves and flat disk-shaped siliques

Examples of HONESTY

1. She is admired for her kindness and her honesty.
2. He demands honesty from everyone who works for him.
3. He didn't even have enough honesty to tell me he was leaving.

First Known Use of HONESTY

14th century

Related to HONESTY

Synonyms: integrity, probity, truthfulness, veracity, verity

Antonyms: deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, lying, mendaciousness, mendacity, untruthfulness

Related Words: honor, honorableness, incorruptibility, rectitude, righteousness, right-mindedness, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, uprightness; artlessness, candidness, candor, forthrightness, frankness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, plainspokenness, sincerity, straightforwardness; dependability, reliability, reliableness, trustability, trustiness, trustworthiness; accuracy, objectivity; authenticity, correctness, genuineness, truth; credibility

Near Antonyms: artifice, cozenage, crookedness, deception, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, fakery, falseness, falsity, fraudulentness, hypocrisy, insincerity, two-facedness; beguilement, craftiness, cunning, cunningness, furtiveness, guile, indirection, insidiousness, oiliness, perfidy, slickness, slipperiness, slyness, smoothness, treacherousness, trickery, underhandedness, unscrupulousness, wiliness; equivocation, prevarication; exaggeration, inaccuracy

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Synonym Discussion of HONESTY

honesty, honor, integrity, probity mean uprightness of character or action. honesty implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way. honor suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position. integrity implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. probity implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.